The girl ignored the rest of her drink as if it didn't exist. She seemed to be a mixture of apathetic and smug, when, really all she was, was plain. The years of being alive and seeing others die, seeing the world deteriorate, it was painful to her, and so it jaded her soul. She was looking for a reason to be "alive" again, truly, and never finding that reason.

"My name is Arcadia. I am immortal, so, virtually, I am ageless. However, when I drank from the springs, it stopped my biologically clock at the age of 17. So, I suppose you could say I am 17 years old."

She spoke with a deeper tone in her voice. She was thinking about where she came from, trying to remember back all that way, which, when she eventually did, she relaxed from her stagnant and focused breathing into her normal breaths of air. She turned to face Bryant and look him straight in the eyes, satisfying his first round of questions and waiting for more.

Meanwhile, with Kendra and I...

"So you come from Earth huh? I've heard that's a wonderful planet. I'd love to visit sometime and see what it's like to live there and everything."

"Yes, ma'am, I do. And it's a wonderful place to live. Especially in my kingdom. I am an adopted prince set to rule over the kingdom when the current king either resigns or dies, I am next in line to receive the throne. He's a tough guy but, he has his soft spots. Anyway, I'm so pleased to have met you. You seem like such a nice girl."

She smiled and giggled as a thank you. We were now walking the town looking for where my friend Bryant would be. After we'd find him we'd set our course for Earth.

how long has it been since you drank. that plus seventeen is how old you are. and with age comes wisdom and knowledge. stray thought that i couldnt keep to myself raced through my mind but i calmly asked the most imediate first. i looked into her eyes thinking about her name. i knew several worlds called Arcadia but no people. interesting. from where my ship used to be were thick deep footprints leading to the bar i was in.

"Well how did you get yours? It's your identity or how others call you by yes? That is what's a name, but, there is nothing in it for me. How do any of us get our names? From our parents. Where do our parents get our names? Whatever seems to pop inside their heads they can agree on. Right? For all I know my name could have been Spicy Bean, if they were eating them, and then I would be known as Spicy Bean, wherever I traveled. But, lucky for me, I was named Arcadia. My full name is Arcadia Rose DelSalmia. But, I prefer to just be called Arcadia."

She spoke rather plainly before she continued, getting attached to another thought.

"But, to answer your question it was random and yet it wasn't. They told me they visited before the beautiful land of Greece on your planet. They loved its scenery and thought it very beautiful. This was years before they were married. When they finally did get married and decide to have a family, they birthed me. In loving memory of that trip they took and my apparent 'beauty' even when I was a baby, they named me Arcadia."

i laughed a bit trying to hide my laugh and failing. Still laughing i said, i was named after my bastard of a father. i have no idea why my mother loved him but she did and im the result. i enjoyed chatting with her but i wondered what utena was up to but i knew she would find me when she was done here so i might as well relax a bit and enjoy the music and smells of the bar.

Still calm and unmoved as ever, she sat there, silently and asked in a somewhat emotionless tone that question. She had been sensing someone approaching outside, but, she couldn't tell if this person was good or bad, just someone powerful. She readied herself and stared at the door.

"I think he's here. If my senses tell me correctly, he should be in this bar."

"You're amazing, do you know what?"

"Gee thanks Kendra, I appreciate that. Well, come on, let's get inside and you can meet Bryant. He's my best friend and my partner on all of this traveling."

Gently, I reached for the doorknob and began to turn it, then opening the door to look inside for Bryant. The girl named Arcadia, whom was ready for anything, then, sighed and let down her ready guard to me. How could I, someone whom looked the way I did, someone who acted the way I did, be such a threat, contain such immense power? She didn't think it possible, but, it was. Spotting him, I walked over to him and smiled, reuniting with him.

"Hey there Bryant, I finally found you. This is Kendra Mamori and I met her in the Love Dome. She's really nice and she wanted to meet you, my best friend. Who is she?"

this (hic) is arcadia i was just about to ask her where her ship is. oh and shes coming with us on the demon hunt. my attention was divided between keeping the large amount of alcohol from clouding my judgement and senses and on my long range senses looking for trouble. a shadow if evil was on my face but i was relaxed and not doing anything besides talking and drinking.. hello kendra im Maboroshi.

"Hi, you must be Bryant. It's a pleasure to meet you. And it's a pleasure to meet you too Arcadia, though I've seen you around before. So, hello."

Kendra smiled and shook the hands of both Arcadia and Bryant. Now, it was my turn.

"Oh man, what have you been doing while I was gone? Have you had too much to drink again Bryant? Looks like I'll have to pilot the ship now unless either one of you knows how to work a technological ship such as his. He really got himself into a mess didn't he? Oh sorry, my name is Utena, I'm his partner, I think I already said that but it's a pleasure to meet you Arcadia."

I offered my hand to hers and she said something before slowly taking it and shaking it softly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Prince."

She shook my hand and suddenly her eyes flashed wider for a moment. I wondered what sort of strange reaction that was and why she did it when she shook my hand. Still, I smiled happily and assumed that Bryant told her that I was a prince. But, suddenly she seemed to retract. I wondered what was wrong.

im fine to pilot the ship. unlike with humans my higher functions still work perfectly. its the lesser ones that suffer for me like my ability to hold back or my judgment. i say paying for my drinks using earth money forgetting i was on another planet.

I caught Arcadia looking me over as if I were some sort of target she was planning to kill. I wondered why she seemed to have this distinct dislike just for me and no one else in the group at the moment. Ever since she shook my hand, I felt this bad vibe just sort of generate from her towards me. Truthfully, it made me shiver with unease. But, I announced that statement happily, hoping that everyone would agree to it.

while we walked back to the landing point i leaned under my ship whispering to Utena, hey are you ok. you seem like youre scared of something. my ship hid us from our companions but i wondered if kendra would want to visit earth too and if that was the case room was hard to find inside my ship.

"Oh no, I'm not afraid. I'm just a little weird around Arcadia, she seems not too pleasant to meet me and become friends with me all of a sudden. It's so strange. It's like one minute she likes me, I shake her hand and the next she hates me."

I whispered back to Bryant as we all began to walk back to his ship to head for Earth, our main destination and my home. Kendra, seemed to, at some point exiting the bar, interlace her hand with mine and walked with me holding my hand. I smiled at this small little notion and she did as well. It seemed she really did like me.